Calamity Hitch
by PeechTao
Summary: During B.Eyed D:Hitch is shot by Calico without Virgil to back him. When Virgil finds him half dead, an ambush is set and the men are caught in a crossfire. What happened that night would change their lives forever. Now,Calico's kin and old enemies team to seek revenge, will the guns of Appaloosa be enough to keep them back? Or will this be the last ride?Cato,Rose,Pony,Chauncy,too!
1. Chapter 1

Calamity Hitch

by: PeechTao

For: Her own saddistic pleasure

disclaimer: I do not own Appaloosa, neither do i own Viggo Mortenson, regardless that i really want to.

a/n: this takes place in my own twisted rendition of Blue-Eyed Devil. i'm not exactly sure where my book is snuggled in, but somewhere.

* * *

The men walked right up and shot me.

I heard the creak of the saloon door on its hinges. I was at the bar drinking whiskey with Willis, the bartender. The door opened. I half turned to see the new arrivals, should they be any trouble. From my shot glass I saw the quick reflection of a man with a gun. Willis went pale as death.

My hand was on the eight gauge leaning on the bar next to me. I never got to pull it. The bullet busted through my right side and tossed me against the bar like a ragdoll. The man got me with a Winchester, and boy, did my body know it.

My hat fell back and off. I was coughing up blood in a couple minutes.

I faced my attacker. I'm not sure if I was surprised that it was Callico, that blasted back-shooter. He had six men backing him. Where did that gusto come from?

"Callico," I choked.

"Everett." He said.

"Like an explanation I think." I said.

"You ain't gettin' one."

He nodded to his boys. As a crowed they came down on me with their colts and Winchesters. Half dead already, I didn't stand much of a chance against them. I was thrown against the bar, then dropped to the floor. One came at my head.

Willis stopped shouting.

Tilda ran out the door for Virgil.

* * *

Chapter 2 should be up soon


	2. Chapter 2

_I like being the only entry in Appaloosa:) it give me a warm n fuzzy feeling:)_

**Calamity Hitch**

**Chapter 2**

The woman was screaming and tossing her arms frantically. She was out of breath. It took her a moment to gasp out the words to Virgil and Pony Flores. Both were sitting on the porch of Virgil's home, enjoying the cool night.

"Mister Cole! Mister Cole!" she shouted. "Come, please come!"

By her expression, Virgil figured one of the taverns he bounced for was having trouble. He started walking. Pony walked beside him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Is Mister Hitch!"

Virgil stopped walking.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked.

"He was killed!"

Now Virgil did something he never did before. He paused dead in his tracks. He starred critically at the woman. It was as if he wanted her to take it all back.

"Some men come in. Callico's men and he was shot in the back! I ran for you and—" Tilda spoke so fast it was hard to understand her.

But Virgil wasn't listening.

Pony looked at Virgil.

"Where's Hitch?" Virgil asked.

"In the Boston House."

Virgil headed there. Tilda said no more. She followed the men along as they headed up the road and took the side street that lead to the saloon. Virgil mounted the steps with Pony beside him and opened the saloon door.

Hitch was lying on the floor in the corner. His face looked bloody. Most of the tables were busted in some way or other. Callico's men had gone off already.

Willis was kneeling by Hitch.

Hitch certainly looked dead.

"They done it!" Willis proclaimed. "The whole lot of them for no reason at all! I'll testify to it, Cole, I swear I will!"

Virgil said nothing.

Pony took in a breath beside him. He blew it out slow, through his nose. He didn't go any closer then the door way.

"Any one go for the doctor?" Pony said.

"No, sir." Wilis said.

"I'll go." Pony said. He walked out.

Virgil stood there, frozen as his thoughts ran amuck. He was going to kill Callico. That much was decided already. Especially if Hitch really was dead. For that he bent down himself.

"Everett?" He said. "You hear me, then say so."

"I think he's still alive, Virgil." Willis said.

"You're not sure?"

"He's hurt plenty, makes it hard to tell."

Virgil nodded, then leaned down to Everett and felt around his neck. The way he was folded over it made it hard to find one. If it was still there to find.

Virgil took hold of his right arm and eased him onto his back. Hitch never complained. His head flopped to the side, blood trailed by his mouth onto the floor. In this position a pulse was easier to find. Hitch's chest rose to breathe in an awful sick manner.

"He's alive, that's something, isn't it?" Willis said.

"Who shot him?" Virgil asked.

"Callico."

"Beat him up good."

"That was his deputies." Willis said.

"What first?"

Willis looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Did they beat him first or shoot him first? How did this all ordinate?"

Hitch moaned and they both looked down at him. His face screwed up and one red-stained eye looked at Virgil.

"Originate." Everett corrected.

Virgil almost smiled. "That's right. Originate."

"They shot me first." Everett said.

"Not very polite of them."

"Didn't seem very civil to me." Hitch said. His eye closed for a moment and neither said a thing for a while.

Virgil nodded to Willis. "Pony's been a while fetching the doctor. Why don't you go and check on him."

"Sure Virgil."

Willis got up and left.

"Ringing the doctor too?" Hitch asked.

"Pony and Willis are after him."

"That bad to look at?"

"You aint winning no beauty contest. Where he shoot you? In the back?"

Hitch shook his head. "Shot me in the side, as I was turning. It all hurts. Am I bleeding bad?"

"Bout to look into that." Virgil said. He moved aside Hitch's coat and unbuttoned his vest. Both were splattered red with varying degrees of circumference. The bullet was in the side of his right abdomen. It was bleeding steadily.

"How those ribs feel? You broke em once already."

"That was—" Hitch paused all of a sudden and stiffened. A low growl escaped his mouth before he finished. "That was the left side. His men got me good there with some spurs. How's my side?"

Virgil said nothing until he finished grabbing a cleaning cloth off the floor. He folded it up and pressed it hard against the gunshot wound. That was probably the first and only time Everett cursed Virgil to his face. Virgil didn't much hold it against him either.

"Still bleeding." He said. He actually looked worried.

He was never concerned. This must have been bad.

"Virgil?" Everett said.

"Yeah."

"Think I broke a few teeth too."

Virgil grinned. "You didn't break them, they did. And some of them was bad anyway, let me look."

Everett parted his lips stiffly. One was torn in half. Both were swollen. Two teeth on the right bottom were missing. A top left molar was gone. The one beside it was cracked.

"Not too bad I think." Virgil said.

"Really?"

"Let me see that eye."

Everett felt a hand on either side of his face, and then searing burst of pain caused him to recoil. "Ow—Virgil! Watch it!"

"Cracked your skull, I think."

"Fine then, leave it be. Where's the doctor?"

Virgil turned toward the saloon door. He was wondering the same thing. "Hang here a second."

Everett opened his stained eye. "Where you going?"

"Something aint right." Virgil said.

"Like what?"

"Like why aren't those two back yet. And why did Callico up and leave you here. Something's off."

"It a trap?"

Virgil went to the window and peered his head out. He recoiled instantly when a bullet sailed through the glass and past his left shoulder. Virgil went down on his knees and blocked his head with his arms. Bullets peppered through the windows and splintered dangerously around them. Beyond the outer wall, Virgil could hear the thumping of boots and spurs running along the outside deck. Suddenly the window across from him blasted open.

Virgil drew his colt and shot the gunman down. A second replaced him.

"Virgil!" Hitch exclaimed. His voice wasn't exactly strong enough for a shout. Hitch was outlined in buck shot and .45 caliber rounds. He couldn't stay there. None of them could.

Cole got to his feet and grabbed Hitch around the middle and dragged him up. Everett howled at the harshness of the grab, but Virgil didn't have time to be nice about it.

"Move your legs, Hitch!"

Everett said nothing. He was dropping unconscious even as he tried to get walking. He was in serious trouble. Virgil knew it, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had to drag him up the staircase to the second floor of the Boston House, even if the bullets were following them there.

"Hitch, come on!"

Everett somehow got his legs under him. He half ran/half fell up every step. Virgil kicked open the first available door. He lifted Hitch across the threshold.

"Virgil—" Everett managed those two syllable with difficulty. His head swollen and red hung limp against his chest. Virgil set him down on one of the beds. Hitch was virtually lifeless.

Virgil left him there to rush up the hall. He stuck his hand out a back window and in half a second shot down two men. The gunfire directed up to him and he moved on. At the last room on the left, he shot another man below him easily before running back to Everett.


	3. Chapter 3

_three chapters all at once for u, how nice am i?_

**Calamity Hitch**

Chapter 3

I felt blind. Disoriented. I knew Virgil left, that we were in a real bind. I had to find a way to help him.

I started moving before my thoughts caught on that it may be a bad idea. My legs fell out from under me. I crashed hard into my already beaten side. Everything went white. I heard a scream.

It may have been my own.

My eyes opened. Well, eye. I still had one good one to speak of. I wondered if I would ever see out of the other one.

"Everett?" someone asked.

"Easy now, take it easy."

"Virgil?"

I felt a hand pressing against my shoulder. I must have been confused. I couldn't pull him off. Or shoot him. Where was my eight guage?

"Virgil?" I said again, trying to get my bearing. I tried to swing my fist.

"Everett, quit now!"

I stopped.

Virgil was standing over me. His weight pressed against mine. My fists were in his hands.

"Easy now, you hear me?"

I opened my mouth, but said nothing. I dropped my hands.

"Good. You're all right now. Can you hold a gun?"

That was a strange thing to be asking me at a time like this. "I don't know. Can I?"

"You're gonna have to. Take this."

A colt was placed in my hand. He stuck another in my belt loop, the hammer put forward so it wouldn't go off premature-like.

"I'm sitting you up by the window. Try to sit by the frame, don't get yourself shot again. Can you handle that?"

I knew if Virgil was asking me, I hadn't much of an option. I didn't say anything. He pulled me up under my armpits, I sucked in a breath but it wasn't enough to keep me totally quiet. Virgil's face showed nothing. Not compassion, which I'd never seen on him. Not even surprise, which was equally mysterious. I'm not sure what I expected to see there. But whatever my thoughts, it wasn't there. He had the eight gauge in one hand, a Winchester in the other. His jaw had that familiar tension. We were in a bad spot, and he knew it as well as I did.

I wondered if the gunmen outside might decide to burn down the Boston House.

Anything's possible.

I braced against the window frame and checked the barrels of the colts. They were fully loaded, of course. Force of habit made me check to be sure, but I knew Virgil's own habits would never hand me an unloaded gun.


	4. Chapter 4

_this is a repost- chapter was so short, didin't realise it was accidentally posted with chapter 3. sorry!_

**Calamity Hitch**

Chapter 4

I was hurting something awful. I had one somewhat usable eye. And the window was just too tall for me to lean up and shoot out of. I slid up the window sill, trying not to attract too much attention to myself. After all we had the advantage of them thinking I was dead in my own blood someplace downstairs. It helped a little I suppose. But that didn't change my personal situation.

My side hurt. My ribs were punched out, again. Blood fed down my chest to my ankles where it dripped in and around my boot.

Now there was only a couple pet peeves I had in my life. One of them was wet socks. It was especially disturbing when it was soaked in my blood.

I leaned my busted skull against the window frame. I could see the shadows of men darting in and out of the awning below.

"You ready?" Virgil asked.

"Sure." I told him.

"Pick off as many as you can. They'll be coming up the stairs after us."

"Sure, Virgil."

There was the first blast. Virgil shot out the window and killed two men with the eight gauge, both barrels. He jacked the Winchester and let loose with it next. I couldn't count the beats between the shots. I know eventually he switched to his colt.

I was unstable. I hardly saw straight, let alone could I shoot good enough to save our lives. It would have been better if I had used the eight gauge. It would have been even better if I could have held it up longer than four seconds. I aimed the first colt out the window at one shadow. Everything was going faster, men were flooding to my side of the building and away from Cole directly behind me. The herd of them made it easy to pick off a few.

After the first four bodies hit the ground in various stages of agony, the deputies looked up to my window. They were running scared, but some of them were still shooting, at anything now. Some hit the frame where I stood. I fell over sideways to protect myself.

I could see Virgil now. He reloaded his colt and kept shooting, changing his angle to get the men he was aiming for. A shock rocked my body front to back, and I seized up. It was getting too stressed. I couldn't stay awake much longer.

As the world went dark, I could hear Virgil mentioning something about Pony Flores. I'm not sure why it mattered to him, but he sounded pleased. At least he was a little happy, even if Callico had just mounted the stairs.

He was coming to kill us.

Dumb luck or maybe just bold nerve made Callico take a run at firing on Cole first. Virgil's back was turned. I'll never know if my long time partner knew Callico was there or not. But I do know I shot him broadside before he ever got his gun to clear leather.

Virgil looked at me. I thought he seemed surprised. Then something like concern filtered its way in. "Everrett?" he said.

The last thing I saw was Virgil rush forward, and then lean down to me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Calamity Hitch**

Chapter 5

My ribs were busted all right, but that wasn't much of a surprise to me. I'd been shot in my side good, and it took the doctor too long to get the bullet dug out of my innards. I lost about three or four teeth. Virgil tried to convince me that they were bad to begin with. Maybe its true. Makes me feel a jot better. The rest of me had its own issues to deal with. My body for some reason didn't take too kindly to being beat up upon.

I was laid up for longer then I cared to be. But that was always how things like this ended up. I hadn't ever been in this sort of position before (back shot by a group of ruffians). But I didn't like it one bit. Virgil wasn't much help either. When he wasn't out marshaling the now lawless Appaloosa town, he was sitting in a corner next to my bed, reading his books and asking me what some of the more impressive words meant. Allie was somehow worse than that. She took it upon herself to pine over Virgil's ordeal and try to make the situation up to him by making breakfast for the two of us. I was the afterthought.

Pony came by occasionally. He'd stay for ten minutes or so and stare at me before walking off someplace with Virgil or Laurel.

Laurel at least appeared to have some pity on me. She was kind enough to sneak away Allie's plate of food when I didn't eat and delivered the occasional biscuits and good coffee with a shot of whiskey when it seemed I was ready to starve or die. I was grateful for it.

I'm not sure how long I'd been laid up before I finely decided to get out of bed. Before I hadn't made it passed the outhouse without Virgil under one arm or Pony dragging me someplace. I got myself partly dressed over the course of an hour or so. Laurel happened upon me doubled over in bed struggling to lean down and pull a sock over my right foot. I was just about ready to forgo the matter altogether and put my boots on without them. Laurel came in wordlessly, as always, and slid on my socks, then my boots. She retrieved my vest and handed it over. She helped me buttoned my top buttons and then leaned back as far as she could to help pull me off the bed.

I fell forward, stumbled, hit the wall, and eventually righted myself. She looked at me and smiled.

"Thank you, Laurel." I told her.

She nodded very faintly, and then walked out in front of me.

I followed her out.


	6. Chapter 6

_here's the last chapter for tonight. will post more another day._

**Calamity Hitch**

Chapter 6

Eventually the door opened for the Boston House. I slid in, a noticeable limp to my normally smooth step. I stood in the doorway for a few minutes before I worked up the courage to get to the table I saw Virgil and Pony sharing a drink at. Willis looked up from behind the bar and smiled at me.

"Hitch! Good to see you out and about. How you feelin'?" he asked.

At that point, after having crossed half of town on foot whereas my previous record had gotten me as far as the kitchen table and back, I was not in a mood to converse effectively. I may even be ashamed to admit the sheen of sweat soaking into my hat and the little-to-obvious flush that turned me red. I stood in the doorway like a cigar-store Indian, unable to walk to a chair and definitely not fit enough to go back to Virgil's house with Allie. So I stood there looking stupid for a few seconds too choked on hurt to get any words out before my right leg began to fall out from under me, followed promptly by the left.

Virgil saw it coming, like he saw most all other things before they came to pass. He rushed over with a silent look at Pony. Together the two grabbed me about my belt and waist and drug me to their table. They wordlessly sat me in a chair between them.

"Should be more careful, jefe`, next time I may not be there to pick you up. And you weigh too much for me to get you from the floor." Pony said.

"I weigh a heap less with Allie feeding me the way she is." I told him.

Virgil grinned. "Now ain't that the truth." He said.

Willis came over and placed an extra glass on the table for me. Pony poured me two fingers of whiskey from the bottle he and Virgil shared.

"Need anything, Everett? Want some coffee?" Willis asked, which had a mighty strange tone to it given he didn't have coffee in the saloon.

"If you can manage it." I said. "I'd be much obliged."

"And some dinner? Have you eaten yet?" he asked.

"Depends on what you mean by eating." I said.

"I'll get you something then. Just give me a minute to get the Chinamen to cook something up." And then he was gone.

After the exchange I focused some on my glass of whiskey, and how to make it go down smooth. It was enough of an occupation that by the time I looked up from it both Pony and Virgil were giving me the strangest looks I'd ever seen on them.

"My, my, Everett, whatever did you do to get such attention?" Virgil said.

Pony snickered.

I hadn't a clue what they were talking about, so I kept on staring.

"'_Get the Chinamen to cook something up.'_" Pony quoted, sounding as close to Willis as his Chiricahua/Mexican inbreeding would muster. He laughed at himself.

Virgil too seemed in high spirits over it, making me wonder how long he'd been nursing the whiskey bottle. But Virgil never got drunk. It just wasn't his idea of smart. So what was prompting this general strange happiness at my expense?

"Acts like you saved his life or something." Virgil said. "Poor Everett. Laid up with Allie's cooking all the while."

Now I got the joke. "Awe, Virgil, now that isn't fair. I didn't go and ask Fat Willis to offer me anything. Beside you're always the big hero and the one loved up upon. Can't blame a man over getting back shot and people feelin' sort of sorry for him."

Pony shook his head, still smiling.

Virgil too was hard at wiping his face blank. "Not just that. We been friends a while you know."

I nodded, sure I knew.

"Well, I must say, I am usually the one, do to our friendship of course, that ends up killing a few folk to get you out of it all right."

"Now, Virgil—" I started to say.

Virgil held up a hand, so I stopped and let him keep going.

"I told you before you tend to think too much and not quite do enough, and that's what keeps you from being as good at killing as me. And it's also what gives you certain advantages that I need."

Virgil would never admit to a fault. I knew he meant he needed me, as a friend and some part of a conscious, but he wouldn't say that either.

"But I got to tell you, this town has turned something mighty about you." He said.

"Against me? What for?" I said.

"For killing Callico, jefe`." Pony said. He was smiling, but trying to hide it. He looked at Virgil.

"That's right, for killing Callico." Virgil said.

"But he shot me first!" I pointed out. "If that wasn't cause enough to kill him, then it was for defense of him killing you. You would have shot him just as much as I did."

"That's true. But I did not kill him. You did." Virgil said.

"And the town's mad at me for it." I said. It was all backwards and crazy. Not at all what I expected to hear. That isn't to say I feel like some hero, but I didn't deserve to be an Outcast for shooting a crooked sheriff in self defense.

Now Pony couldn't help laughing again.

I turned on him. "Now could you tell me what of that all is so funny to you?"

Pony shook his head no. "You tell him, Cole."

Virgil lifted a hand. "Oh, no, Flores, I believe you started this. So you should say it."

My side was hurting from the breaths I didn't realize I kept holding. For the life of me, I was sitting here with two men having a laugh about a town wanted to make a hangman out of me. Maybe there were already plans to leave town and they were having a fun time of it making me sweat but after a few weeks laid up in a sick bed, and almost collapsing already, I was plum through with circling the wagon. "Will one or the both of you just tell me what the Sam Hill is going on?"

Virgil looked at Pony.

Pony looked at Virgil.

"I never said they were set _against_ you." Virgil said. "Only they turned a bit around you. Whereas I was once the great Virgil Cole, now you are the Magnificent Everett Hitch who with one arm, and one bullet—"

"—and one eye!" Pony added.

"Single handedly shot the depressible Sheriff Callico, saving the poor Virgil Cole from painful death, and saving the town from his minions of deputies. Have I got it right, Pony?"

"_Si_." Pony said.

In listening to this surprisingly eloquent, verbose, speech I was temporarily thrown off by the word depressible (which I knew Virgil mistook for derisible) before I got to understand all of what he told me.

I had outweighed Virgil Cole on the town hero? How did that ever come about?

"I did what?" I said.

"You were pretty well on your way to dead when you picked up that colt I gave you and shot Callico before he got a chance to clear leather against me." Virgil said.

"A good shot too, right on the side of his head." Pony said.

"Thereby saving my life, the town's lives, and ending the tyrannical rule of Sheriff Callico. Congratulations, Everett you are a hero. And I cannot tell you how many people in this one-horse town have come up to me asking after you, if I knew you, and how you made the shot that ended Callico. You're good as Jesse James with a badge."

Pony nodded fervently, obviously enjoying the turn of events. "Me two, been found out by bunch of men wanted to know details of the great Everett Hitch."

"Ladies too." Virgil said.

Now Pony smiled very wide. "Yes, some Chiquita's very nice."

Willis came back into the saloon, a Chinaman followed behind and came over to our table. He dropped a plate of food before me and left a kettle of coffee and a cup on the table before he left. Willis patted my shoulder, proud of himself over the meal as if he'd gone out himself and hunted up a heifer to serve as my piece of steak. I waited until he walked out of sight to double over sideways.

Virgil half stood from his chair and grabbed my elbow. Pony's smile was gone.

I took a moment to compose myself. It took longer to explain Willis jabbed me, in a friendly way only, in the side of my busted ribs. After getting over the nauseous pain I finely set to my dinner as Pony grabbed his bowie knife and snuck bits of steak into his mouth when I wasn't looking. We all shared the coffee.

"What happened to all his deputies?" I asked. My eyes were growing heavy. I wondered if I should go back to Virgil's place and get to sleep.

"Shot about ten of them. Others run off scared. Haven't seen any of them since." Virgil said.

I nodded. Ten killed. That was a lot of bodies to bury. Not including Callico too. Probably never see the other fifteen again if I was lucky and they weren't a vengeful sort.

I wasn't long at the saloon before my body figured I'd had enough. My gun wound was pulsing and angry. The rest of me felt a deep enough ache that I pushed my chair back against the wall and took off my hat. Pony asked if I wanted help getting back to Virgil's place. I told him I didn't, that I wanted some fresh air for once in a long while, and continued to rest my head back. I hadn't expected how fast it took me to fall totally asleep.

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i know it takes a little effort, but please review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Calamity Hitch**

Chapter 7

Virgil looked at him and sighed a little.

"We take him back to the house?" Pony asked, indicating Hitch.

"Nah," Virgil told him. "Let him sleep it off. Besides, gives him a night away from Allie staring in on us. Got to watch out for trouble. Anything happens we'll just give him a colt and watch the hero do his work."

"With one arm." Pony said.

"And one eye." Virgil added.

The two sat for a while in silence as the bar flowed in and out with various cowboys and the like. The saloon girls were equally busy in their own respective occupations as Willis worked his magic behind the bar. The Boston House was uncommonly busy this particular night. Men from across town had finely gotten word of Callico's being run down. Mostly the fancier of the men came waltzing in; all show with their pistols hanging about their waist and pearl handles. They were the basic lookers. More than once their eyes fell on Virgil and Pony, and then the sleeping Everett.

Virgil made a slight motion to his companion. Pony took the hint and got up to sit across the room. Though Pony wasn't a perfect alternative to his long time friend, Everett, Pony was better than having no back up at all should some ruckus break out. Virgil considered Waking Everett, but one look at him told Cole to let the man be. He seemed so content; his head drooped down onto his chest with his chair leaning back against the wall on two legs. The occasional grunt or snore would emerge from his lips and then he became silent.

No, Virgil would let him sleep.

"Well, if it ain't Virgil Cole and his faithful fellow sheriff."

Cole looked up to see the new arrivals walking through the saloon door.

"Cato and Rose." Virgil said by way of greeting. "Evening to you boys. What brings you down to these parts? Finished you stint in Resolution?"

Rose shrugged. "Not in so many words." He filed his way through the crowded bar and ended up pulling over two chairs to Virgil's table. Cato sat first, then Rose between him and Everett.

Rose looked about the room and spotted Pony Flores. He tipped his hat to him. "Evening, Pony."

"Senior Rose." replied Pony.

Rose looked at the sleeping Everett and gave a grin. "Sleeping on the job now?"

Virgil held a finger to his lips, not that they were speaking much louder than the entire rest of the bar surrounding them. It was more out of courtesy. "He had himself a rough time of it."

Rose's voice was lower. "So I heard. Is why when the deputy marshal came rolling in not too long ago I handed in our resignations. Decided to come and check on the two of you. You all right?"

"Depends on who you ask." Virgil said.

"What do you mean?"

"It was up to Allie to do the answering, she'd say I was shot four times and sitting on death's door as we speak."

"And what'd be her opinion on Hitch?" Rose asked.

"Don't think she formed no opinion on Hitch. She might say he was outgunned or beat up on is all." Virgil said.

Rose smiled. "Any truth in that?"

Virgil looked serious. "Some. He's in it a bad way."

Cato had been silent, and somewhat bored looking until now. "Hear he killed Callico, protecting you."

"That he did." Virgil said.

"He dead or dying?" Rose asked.

"Can't tell you that for sure, but I don't think he's dead yet." Virgil said.

Rose leaned over and scrutinized Everett very closely. As if sensing something amiss, Everett was thrust awake. He drew his side arm and pressed it swiftly against Rose's skull.

No one moved. The room went suddenly very quiet.

Hitch blinked his eyes once or twice, brought Rose into focus some, and then carefully let his gun down. He winced. "Rose, nice seeing you again. Why you sneaking up on me?"

Rose smiled, completely relaxed by it all. "Your own fault for falling asleep on the job, Everett. Nice to see you alive. I expected otherwise."

Hitch nodded. "Yeah, me two once in a while."

Cato actually laughed. "Well, s'pose that rules out dead. Maybe he's just dying then. You dying, Everett?"

"I could be." Hitch said.

"Well seems to me none of you are confirming or denying a thing." Rose said. "And you don't exactly look like a spring flower, either. Heard from some drifters you single-handedly pulled Virgil's hind-end out of the flames. That true?"

"With one hand." Virgil added.

"And one eye." Pony Added from across the room. "And no legs."

"And one bullet." Virgil assisted.

Hitch was leaning back against the wall again. His arms crossed over his chest and he wondered a little how to respond to all their jeers. "Not exactly how I remember it." He settled on. "I may remember the one eye. My eye sure does."

"Still a little black and blue. Can you see out of it?" Rose asked.

"Not too well."

Virgil looked up. This seemed to be news to him. His mouth opened slightly as if to ask something of him, but instead his head slowly turned to the opposite side. The table was slowly being approached by someone. Virgil had seen him enter the room about an hour previously. He sat in a group of four, none were heeled that he could tell or he would have thrown them out already. But they drank slow, and looked over often. It was enough to raise his level of concern.

"You must be Everett Hitch." The man said. He was a weasel-looking man. His nose was just too long, and just too thin. His chin was short and tucked in, and his lips were strings of pink on a freckled and shaved face. His hands were in his pockets.

Everett ignored him at first. His eyes had closed and Virgil thought maybe he'd fallen back to sleep. Eventually he sighed, opened his eyes, and looked at the man.

"That's me. Everett. These are my friends, Virgil Cole, Pony Flores, Frank Rose, and Cato Tillson."

"Nice to meet you all." The weasel said. "My name is Royce. I'm—"

"I know who you are." Pony said.

Royce turned to him and waited. He wasn't nervous that Virgil could tell. But Pony's hand rested on his gun belt. Virgil took the move to heart.

"You were with Malkaroy's crew in El Paso, four months back. Killed many Comanche in those parts."

Royce smiled. Virgil didn't like it. "Can't fault a man for killing a few red devils. You a Comanche breed?"

Pony grinned. "Chiricahua. I kill Comanche too. But not like you. And I'm not a cousin to a Callico either."

Virgil's eyebrows rose. This was becoming an interesting turn of events. Cato leaned back, exposing the handle of his gun. Rose didn't move. Everett looked very awake now, though he was missing something very important: his eight gauge. Virgil figured he wouldn't be able to raise it if he had it, so the absence wasn't a tragedy.

"You planning on some kind of revenge killing, Royce, now ain't the time for it. Can't respect a man who kills me for defending a friend from a back shooter. Give me a chance to get my feet back under me and I'll be plenty happy to go against you if you're up to it." Everret said.

Royce nodded. "Be plenty obliged for that. Trouble is I haven't got the greatest patience in the world. And reputation doesn't mean much to me." His hands pulled out of his pockets and crossed over his vest. Virgil looked over him perhaps for the eighth time. He still didn't see a gun. Neither did he see any of the other men with guns obvious. But they had stopped reaching for their drinks. Their eyes were either on Everett, or Royce. Seldom did they look at the rest of the table. They were all young, twenties, thirties at a stretch. None were particularly easy on the eyes. They were all vermin of some kind or other.

The rest of the room had grown quiet. Willis looked from behind the bar with worried eyes. He waited for a signal from Virgil to either clear out, or pull up his bar shotgun. He was ready for anything if these young guns became an issue.

"Sorry to hear that about you." Everett said. "But it's how it's going to be. I'm not walking into a shooting gallery. If you want to take out whatever vengeance you've got now, just take it up with one of my friends here. But I'm not drawling on you."

Knife.

Virgil hadn't thought of it at first, but suddenly it made a lot of sense. The man didn't look like he carried a gun, but a knife was likely. And he could hide it just about anywhere—

Pony saw it to. He had his gun clearing leather half a second behind Cole. That was a change. Cato and Rose both were standing and ready to hit the table across from them. The trouble is how fast knives are. It flew out of Royce's sleeve with lightning quick reflexes. Hitch fell back, the handle through his chest. His ribs were cut. The bowie stuck into his heart. The beating was slowing, growing cold.

Virgil and Pony both killed Royce. Cato and Rose shot all three men. Their knives were half drawn. The middle man actually managed to stick his in a wall beside Rose's head. It missed by six and a half inches.

This did nothing for Everett. Virgil pulled Everett into his arms. He knew better then to take the knife out. Again fear seeped into his voice. "Everett!" he screamed. "Don't do this Everett!"

Rose grabbed a napkin from the table to surround the wound. Everett was distant. His body jolted. Blood trailed from his mouth. He spasmed then went still. Virgil was still screaming his name.

Pony put another bullet between Royce's eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Calamity Hitch**

**Chapter 8**

I don't know what finely brought me out of that little personal Hell. Maybe it was Cato shaking my shoulder or Virgil almost dropping me into the street. Either way, I finely came to, lying in the dirt and mud on Main Street a couple blocks from the bar. It was another two blocks to Virgil's house. It was daylight.

"You all right?" Virgil asked. He was leaning over me, his concern evident as he crouched in the dirt.

"What do you think?"

He grabbed one of my arms. Cato was kind enough to get the other. With a little grunt they hauled me to my feet and drug me the rest of the way home. I appreciated the help. But something was still a little unclear to me. A second ago I had a bowie knife sticking from my chest in the bar. The next I was in the mud outside. I waited until we got to the porch to talk. As it was the walk had taken everything out of me. I was going to be sleeping for a while. Maybe the Doctor would be kind enough to bring me some more medication.

I sure hung on that thought longer then I should have.

"Ah! Easy Virgil!" I yelled. He pulled me up the couple stairs and dropped me onto the porch bench. Cato gave me a sympathetic look, but said nothing.

Laurel appeared in the doorway. She looked out at the three of us, seemed to make something up in her mind, and went back inside.

Cato stood, leaning on one of the porch beams. Virgil disappeared inside.

"Pony and Rose looking after the bar?" I asked.

Cato nodded.

"What happened to Royce?"

He gave me a strange look.

"We kill him?"

"What are you talking about, Everett?" Cato asked.

"Callico's cousin, thought he killed me outright but I guess not. He dead?"

"I think I'll run and get that doctor." Cato said. "You're not sounding right." He left the porch and started up the street.

Laurel came out onto the porch and handed me a cup of coffee. I thanked her for it and sat back to relax. She took off my hat and sat it on the bench. Then she started pulling off my boots.

I took my foot from her and she looked up at me.

"You don't have to do that." I told her.

Virgil was standing in the doorway now. Laurel looked at him, then back to me. I copied her.

"Virgil would have done the same for me, if that's what you're thinking. Don't feel like you have to pay me back for it." I said.

Laurel stood and tiptoed up to Virgil's ear where she whispered to him. He smiled and nodded.

"I'm sure he'd appreciate it." Virgil said.

Laurel nodded, came over, and pulled off my boots. She went into the house, taking my hat with her.

"What she say?" I asked.

"Says she's real happy you took care of me. And she wants to thank you somehow. So if taking off your boots is thanks enough, then she'll take off your boots." Virgil said.

I had to smile. "Awful nice of her."

"I suppose so. She never took off my boots before."

I laughed a little.

A silence fell between the two of us as we looked out over the town. It was early, the sun was still coming up down the row of houses on Main. I could see Cato up the way heading for the doctor. It reminded me of the conversation we had together. What happened? I decided to ask Virgil.

"You know Callico's cousin? Royce?" I asked.

"No." Vigil said.

"He was at our table. Threw a knife at me and you don't remember him?"

"When this all happened?" he asked.

"Before we left the bar." I said. "Big fella, kind of looked like a rat. Pulled a knife on us."

Virgil pushed off the door. He took a good look at me, and then pressed his hand against my forehead. "How you feeling?"

"I'm sore but that's about it."

I thought I was fine, but I couldn't quite figure out what they were so disturbed by. I wondered suddenly if I had thought the whole thing up in a delusion. That was an amazing delusion though.

"Where's Cato?"

"Went for the doctor. Virgil, was there ever a Royce?"

He didn't answer me. Instead he stepped off the porch to see how far Cato had gone. He went back to me after a time. "Can you walk?"

"Maybe I can." I said.

"I'm getting you to the bedroom. Now haul yourself up so we can go." Virgil was concerned again. I was getting a little tired of seeing that. After all, we had been friends sometimes longer then I'd like to admit. I had never seen so many emotions clear on his features. That was always a little disconcerting to me. Either it meant we were in a situation he didn't expect (i.e. not a good one) or he had forgotten something very important (like the horses) and I had to correct him. These were the little things I had come to see in him. He never made big mistakes, not anymore. Neither did he display big emotions. Except for right now. Sure I had been shot before. Usually me and him are standing together getting our hides handed to us. But we come out of it together, and alive if not mutually maimed. The last time we were in Appaloosa was the worst. We were shot up something awful by being lawmen after their wayward prisoner. That's the first time I busted my ribs and the worst we'd ever had it.

Now this was the first time I'd ever had more than a scrape without him drawling blood beside me. I'm not sure if that's what affected him. You're never sure with Virgil.

"Well, I'm tired of hauling you all over the town so just try and get your own feet under you this time. I'll stand and watch to see if you can do it."

I really didn't feel like getting up, but Virgil was watching, and in his own way demanding I do what he said. So I braced my palms on the bench and started pushing myself up. I made it to my feet. But only just. Call it lucky. Virgil kept his eyes on the street ahead. I knew he was watching me as well. I went for the door and pushed it open.

Allie was inside, cooking. It was the last thing we ever want her to do. But there she was, puttering around in the kitchen and waltzing into the dining room carrying her dishes. She looked up at me briefly. "Why, Everett! Where have you been? Where's Virgil?"

Same thing she always says. "He's outside, be in soon I imagine."

Laurel exited the kitchen holding a plain platter topped in hard looking biscuits and a glob of gravy in a dingy cup. She gave me a sympathetic glance, as if to apologize for not reaching breakfast before Allie got her hands a hold of it.

"You going to sit and eat something?"

I shook my head, no. "Thank you, Allie. But no. I'm not feeling very well right now."

Virgil walked in behind me, apparently to see my progress. I hadn't gotten far. But at least Virgil had a small house. I walked through the door on the immediate right and was met with the bed that had been my temporary home for the past week. I slipped onto the mattress and almost immediately knew no more.


	9. Chapter 9

**Calamity Hitch**

Chapter 9

Virgil walked in after complimenting Allie for ten minutes or so on the wonderful array of breakfast treats. When he found Hitch, the man was lying sideways on his bed. He was still fully clothed and his gun was wedged between the bed and his leg. Hitch was ready to shoot himself if he moved to quick one way or the other. Virgil grabbed Hitch's legs and pulled them straight to the end of the bed. Half awake, his friend moved himself to a stray pillow, and didn't protest when Virgil unbelted his gun and pulled it off.

He uncocked the colt and set it on his chair. He sighed as he watched his closest friend try and sleep. He knew the doctor had to come and look in on him. Having delusions about would-be killers is bad enough, but the fever Virgil felt had him concerned.

"I don't want grits."

Virgil looked down at his friend.

Hitch had rolled over, clutching a pillow. His head rested on nothing. He was murmuring to no one in particular. It's exactly what got him kicked out of the bar. Cato and Rose both agreed Hitch looked poor. Then when he started talking in his sleep and fidgeting like a mad man, Rose wanted to take away his gun. Instead Virgil offered to drag him home. Cato went along to give Pony a break.

"God, Virgil, just take the shot!" Hitch muttered, fighting his imaginary demons.

"_Where's Cole?"_

"_He's just through there, trying to sleep." Allie said._

"_That's fine. Where's Hitch?"_

"_In there too." _

The doorway blocked off a minute and the doctor walked through. He nodded a greeting to Virgil. Virgil nodded back.

"How's he doing? Getting around today?" Doc asked.

"Some." Replied Virgil. "Last night he made it to the Boston House. Almost. Carried him back a bit ago. He's got a fever, and he's been saying some things out of sorts."

"Things?" Doc said.

"Crazy things. Made up some gunfight I'd never been in, with some guy we never knew and said it all happened last night." Virgil laid it all straight and plain for him. No use in covering up facts. Doctors didn't care.

"When did he fall asleep?"

"'bout a couple minutes ago."

The doctor nodded and said no more. He took his time inspecting Everett over. He pulled out his thermometer and some various injections, liquids, and potions. Virgil looked away while he worked. Some things would always bother him. Doctoring was one of them. Speaking improper English was another pet peeve that he couldn't help but occasionally do himself. Allie's cooking was also on the list someplace.

Instead of the doctor, his eyes were focused out the window. The sun had crested in the distances and was making long dark shadows off the homes and saloons in town. The red and orange dust was blowing into dust devils in the distant scrub land as clouds had already begun to form monstrous mountains in the sky over head. Bad weather was coming. Probably be in town that afternoon. Maybe Virgil and Hitch would take the horses out for a run before the storm came to keep their wind in them.

Virgil winced and looked down. No, Hitch wouldn't be running the horses. Maybe Pony would but not Hitch. He turned back to the doctor.

"Its infection." The man said. "Caught hold in the bullet wound. He should have been treated sooner, not gone gallivanting after some armed men. Nothing I can do to prevent it after so long. I'll send one of the China men by with some antibiotics. I have to get them from the office. Don't let him move about, and keep him cooled off with rags and drown him with water if you have to. I'll be back later to check on him."

He packed up his bag and headed out of the room, tipping his hat to Laurel on his way by the door.

Laurel looked from Cole to Hitch.

"He'll be all right." Virgil told her. "Just do like the doc says and keep him quiet. Get me a bowel of water."

She went away to fetch it.

While Virgil wasn't looking, the doctor had removed Everett's shirt and left it folded on the chair. He could see it had stained a strange muted red from the seeping of his wound. His side had been re-bandage. The off white strips circled his chest and were already beginning to stain as well. Virgil stood staring. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do.

Laurel came in behind him with the basin of water. She set it down on the chair with Everett's shirt and started dunking the rags in it. After ringing one out, she stretched it over Hitch's forehead. She repeated this a few more times, putting a rag over his chest, or arms, or whatever was left exposed. Hitch had stopped fidgeting and seemed to have gone to sleep.

Virgil just stood and watched.


	10. Chapter 10

**Calamity Hitch**

Chapter 10

Virgil leaned his chair back against the wall of the sheriff office. His boots rested high up on the railing. He looked out over the sleepy Appaloosa town and wondered to himself what would be the challenge today. Hitch was still laid up with infection and hadn't made more than a moan in the past three days. Virgil had been staying with him, but was persuaded that morning by Allie's home cooking to head up the street for breakfast at the inn. Virgil left Everett with Pony and Laurel with the understanding that the two of them would keep a careful watch. At the first sign of trouble, or Everett finely waking up they were to run for him.

Then again, the Sheriff office was only a block away. They could always give a holler and he'd hear them just the same. The thought of Laurel standing out on the porch, hollering at all was enough to make Virgil grin. It must have showed.

"What you thinking about?" Rose asked.

Virgil for a time had forgotten he was standing there. "'Bout Laurel, standing on the deck yelling for me should Hitch start moving."

Rose chuckled. "That would be something. Think she'd do it?"

"Most likely she wouldn't."

"I reckon you're right."

They sat in silence for a while. The sun was already high over head, and the heat was enough to fry an egg on a street rock. Under the porch awning it wasn't too terrible that they would seek cover inside. Virgil wanted some daylight after being cooped up in his house for so long.

Instead he buried his nose in one of his books. It was by Emerson, a collection of essays and saying from the author, most of which were ridiculous to him. But he read them anyway to be better educated like Hitch was.

". . . _would disdain as much as a lord to do or say aught to __**conciliate**__ one."_ He read from the essay. He turned to Rose, but again was surprised to see in fact that the man sitting beside him was Frank Rose and not Everett Hitch.

Rose had obviously not forgotten. "I ain't Everett, and I aint got no West Point education neither. So if yer askin' me what in tarnation _conciliate_ means, then you've got another thing comin'!"

Virgil may have been embarrassed, but he didn't show it. He tossed his book on the deck next to him and tried his hardest to hide his disappointment. This wouldn't do. It just wouldn't do. He could not continue going about life with Hitch holed up in a bed wracked in fever and Virgil sitting there wondered what to do about it. He'd had enough of it. This was going to be the absolute last time Hitch was going to go and get himself back shot in a saloon all by himself.

Now exactly how Virgil was going to prevent future occurrences of the situation was still somewhat of a mystery. But at least having that in the open was consolation enough.

Cato Tillson rode up the cross road a few houses down and passed onto the street that lead right to the office. He was ponying two horses behind him. One was Rose's, the other Virgil recognized belonged to Hitch. He had one on the left of him, the other tied to his saddle on the right. Apparently Rose's horse, a good looking Black mare had taken a dire dislike to Hitch's chestnut gelding. Cato was doing his best to keep them settled, but ears were pinned on both sides and Tillson's own horse had his head hung low to avoid getting in the middle of the stare off.

"What you up to with those horses, Cato? Trying to get yourself in the middle of a fight?" Rose asked.

"Trying to get these horses out for a run. The gelding's been quiet enough, but your doggone mare won't stop trying to kick him. She's all saddled up already. I was gonna leave her hear till I can come back and take her out again."

Rose nodded. "Sure, I'll tie her up. She can get herself into trouble when she wants to be a hot head about things."

"Don't tell me something I don't already know. She's got my poor horses whipped like a dog, look at him!" Cato complained, motioning to his own horse. It was surprisingly big for his small form. He was almost dwarfed by it. The bay gelding had a thick form to it, like a draft horse with long spindly legs meant to run.

As Rose took the reins for the mare and tied her to the hitching post, Virgil stood and looked over Everett's horse. He seemed healthy enough, if not a little rounder from sitting at the livery eating grain too long with no work set for him. The horse nuzzled into Virgil's chest, trying to knock him back a few steps.

Virgil was unmoved. The horse seemed a little upset, like he was expecting to see Hitch instead. He even tried to bite at Virgil's pant pockets looking for the scraps of biscuits Hitch usually saved for the horse. Cole just patted his head and sat back down.

"Oh, Pony Flores wanted me to tell you Hitch's still out. But he's talking about that Royce again." Cato said.

Virgil nodded. "He's been fighting Royce for the past three days. Day and night, that's all I hear is him going against Royce in the saloon. I don't even think Callico has a cousin. But who knows."

"Won't do no good to find out either, it's not like you can tell Hitch he doesn't exist." Rose added.

"That's true too." Virgil said. "Might as well leave it alone. Gives Hitch something to fight for."

Rose finished tying up his are to the post and Cato lighted out with the geldings. As they passed by, the black horse couldn't help a last attempt to nip Everett's gelding in the hind quarters. Luckily enough the gelding had shifted to the other side of Cato's horse and out of her way. Rose and Virgil both chuckled a little, watching it all happen.

As Cato headed out of town a new man passed him by with a group of three or four riders flanking behind him. Tillson gave them a nod before taking a side road down First Street. He wasn't headed out into the sage anymore. He was looping back around the sheriff office to make sure these men weren't going to be any trouble.

The men didn't waste much time looking about the town. They road right up to Virgil and Rose. The man up front planted his horse right in front of them. The four men behind him stayed a few paces back, all spread out. The man was Stringer, the county marshal, and an old acquaintance of Virgil's.

"Howdy, Virgil." Stringer said. "You the law in this town again?"

Virgil shrugged. "The town doesn't seem to have a law right now. I'm just bouncing over at the saloons is all."

"Heard you killed Callico."

"Then you heard wrong."

"You telling me you didn't?" Stringer asked.

"Nope. Everett killed him." Virgil clarified.

"With one eye." Rose added with a laugh.

Stringer gave a knowing nod. "Sure, now I remember how I heard it. Had to come and see for myself. I'm not here to arrest you boys, so that big lug of yours can come on out from behind the office. He's making my deputies a little nervous, if any of them happen to notice him back there."

On cue, Cato came out between the general store and the Sheriff office, still ponying Everett's horse. He tipped his hat to them again. Stringer gave a little salute, then stared back at Virgil. "These two men marshaling with you?"

"Nope. Just some friends passing through. Came to check on Hitch like you." Virgil said.

"Lot of people just passing through around here." Stringer pointed out, almost comically. "Saw a breed out by your place. He a friend of yours too?"

Virgil nodded. "That'll be Pony Flores. He's courting the girl we saved back in Brimstone. Name's Laurel."

Stringer shook his head side to side. "Virgil you're just collecting people now aren't you? Now how many you got with you? The breed and girl make two. Both men here make four, you and Hitch are five and six, Allie still with you?"

"She is."

"Making seven. Never knew you to travel so full up."

"Not traveling." Virgil pointed out. "Staying here for a spell, seeing what develops."

"Well, a hell of a lot seems to have developed already! Callico dead, town without a sheriff and you gunslingers passing through. Anything's bound to happen next come to think of it. Anyone come out of the wood work to avenge that shooting?"

"Not so much physically, but Hitch is worried about Callico's cousin Royce putting a knife in his chest." Virgil meant by way of joking.

"Well, he should be." Stringer said. "Royce isn't exactly an easy character. Doubt he liked Callico much as anyone else, but he's one to shoot you because you looked at him sideways. Come to mention it, we did see a rough band on their way here, suspected it could have something to do with him and we were on our way already . . ."

Virgil didn't know how fast he jumped out of his chair until he noticed Stringer's horse back up and toss his head. Stringer took a moment turning him in a circle to settle the creature. Rose too was at his feet. Cato's hand settled on his Winchester.

"What do you mean Royce is his cousin?" Virgil demanded. His voice hadn't raised, but everyone could sense the change in it.

"You said it yourself, Virgil! What's the big surprise in it?" Stringer asked.

Virgil didn't reply. He was looking up the road to where Stringer's men had ridden in. He was waiting for Royce to show up at any moment. It was then left to Rose to fill the marshal in on all the happenings the last few days and especially on the point of Hitch's not-so-imaginary foe, Royce.

Stringer sat back on his horse and let out a long whistle. He tipped his hat back and rubbed his brow. "Now aint that something." He said. "Where is Everett? He up at the Boston House?"

Virgil never really lost his place in the conversation, so he spoke again. "No, laid up with infection back at the house. Pony's watching him now."

"Wow, rotten luck. He going to pull through it?"

Virgil didn't answer, he was still looking up the roadway.

Stringer shook his head again. "Rotten luck." He repeated to himself. "Sad thing to hear about Everett. He's a strong one though. He'll get through it all right. Well, if you boys don't mind, my deputies and I are going over for a drink. Been a long ride getting down here. Before we go, I'll send someone out to scrounge up a new Sheriff if none of you want the job. Just let me know." He tipped his hat again and turned his horse up Main Street. The silent deputies followed behind him.

Virgil kept standing, looking out over the landscape. His thoughts were indiscernible.


	11. Chapter 11

**Now that i have some readers, i will try to finish posting this book**

**Calamity Hitch  
**

Chapter 11

Cato came flying up First Street, ending up in the middle of main before his huge horse could make the turn toward the sheriff office. He kept the horse in a dead heat. At last he pulled him to a skidding halt right beside Rose and Virgil. "Royce is headed into town. Be here tonight, maybe tomorrow."

"You're sure?" Rose asked, surprised.

Cato nodded once, sharply. "Took a ride out passed the scrub land to Red Castle rock. Saw a band of wild horses get spooked out there and here comes a whole posse. Maybe ten, maybe fifteen men. They set camp on the south side of the big river, by the ford. Hard to get over there and head them off, if you know what I mean."

"Sure its not apaches jumping the reservation?" Rose asked, almost hopefully.

"I know apache. And I got a good description of Royce from Stringer. It's Royce all right."

Rose looked to Virgil, but Virgil was already on his way up the road. Rose rushed to catch up with him. Cato followed beside.

Pony had seen him coming and stood waiting on the porch with Laurel beside him. Allie came out to the front yard, as if waiting for Virgil to jump into her arms. This of course he didn't do. More or less he tipped his hat to her and kept on walking. He mounted the steps and Pony moved aside to let him through. Virgil went right for Everett.

He was still beyond words. His face was broken out with a cold sweat. It wasn't hard to see him breathing. His gunshot wound was still drawling blood and infection. There was a sick odor in the air. Virgil instantly regretted coming through the door at all. He expected to come in, warn Hitch to get his gun ready, and see what develops. But that was a little impossible now. He leaned over Everett and shook his arm.

He didn't get any reaction. He pulled his hat off his head and resisted the urge to throw it across the room. "Everett, we have something big coming up against us. Sure would be nice of you to get better and make this whole shooting spree worthwhile. I would take it to heart if I died trying to protect a dead man if you know what I mean." He wrung his hat between his hands. "I'm leaving Pony here to keep an eye on things. Doc says we can't move you, so here's where you have to stay. I hate using you for a target, but that's just what they're after."

Virgil never felt stupid, but right then he felt something like it standing at his friend's bedside talking to no one. He stuck his hat back on his head and walked out. By the time he walked out, Cato had rounded up Stringer and his group of deputies. They were all standing outside Virgil's house, waiting for things to develop.

"Heard the news Royce is outside town." Stringer said. "Not that I didn't expect him to show up sometime, just sooner than I expected. More men too."

"All of them are heeled far as I can tell. I didn't want them to get too good a look at me." Cato said.

Virgil nodded in agreement. "You did all right. Pony, you want to ride on out there and get a better look at what we're dealing with?"

Pony went to get his horse.

Virgil looked at Stringer. "What do you know about Royce? He any good with a gun?"

"Better than Callico." Stringer said. "Better then a lot of people. Maybe not better then you, but we don't know that for sure. He's wanted in St. Louis for the murder of four men. One of them was Heath Marco."

Rose whistled. Virgil shook his head.

Allie had her arms wrapped around Laurel as she watched the men talk. "Who was Heath Marco?" she asked.

"An excellent gun hand." Virgil said.

"Is he better then you?" Allie asked.

Virgil just looked at her and said nothing.

"Now even though he's a reported fugitive, I haven't any orders to bring Royce in. For all I know he has an official pardon from the president himself. So I can't necessarily get involved to help you boys. Not to mention you all aren't exactly the law in this town. Look mighty suspicious to my superiors if I come rolling in to help a bunch of citizens who killed a lawman to protect themselves from said lawman's family. You see what kind of position that could leave me in." Stringer was long winded, but the effect was the same. He wasn't going to be much use to them.

"What about the other men with Royce. They could be obtainable fugitives." Rose pointed out. He nodded to Cato. "You make out who any of them were?"

"One was Carson Lautmen. Know a little of his reputation, but that's all."

"He served with Everett during the war. Almost killed him once too. They never exactly saw eye to eye. We've faced him together a few times. Doesn't surprise me he jumped on the wagon to go against us again." Virgil said.

Stringer gave him a long look. "Hate to burst your bubble, Virgil. But this time I don't think it's about you at all."

After a moment, Virgil agreed. This was Everett's mess now and it was Virgil's fault. Virgil sighed a little. "Well, Stringer, it's a pleasure as always to see you."

Stringer nodded. None of them held out their hands. The marshal knew by now Virgil wouldn't take it. "Sure wish I could help. I get right on finding a new sheriff and send him on over in case you men get yourselves killed in all this.

Allie's hand flew up to her mouth.

Virgil just ignored it. "Sure appreciate it. I'll let Hitch know you stopped in to check on him."

"Much obliged." Stringer gave a small wave to Rose and Cato, and tipped his hat to the ladies. He turned around and unhitched his horses from the gate. The five men mounted up and not long after road north out of town.

Rose watched them go, shaking his head side to side. "Sometimes the laws with you. Sometimes it aint. This time, it aint."

"Least he warned us about Royce." Virgil said. "Least he knew there was a Royce, which is a lot more then what we knew."

Rose turned to him. "About that. So you think Everett knew about him all along? If Royce is riding with Lautmen its possible isn't it?"

Virgil shrugged. "Hard to say what Everett knew. Might be he dreamt the whole thing up."

"Awful big coincidence, don't you think?" Cato said.

"Could say that." Virgil said. "Still don't know one way or the other. For now, I'm setting up here, guarding the home front. Rose, you station over on that veranda behind the Golden Palace. Cato, up on that porch behind the livery. See anything, give a holler."

The two nodded and headed off to their positions. No one bothered asking what was in Virgil's head. More or less they did what he told them. He had that kind of power over people. But something had slipped his mind for a time. Had Hitch been beside him, he would have pointed it out right away. As it was, it took watching Cato unhook his horse from the gate to trigger the memory.

"Cato?" Virgil said.

The man turned.

"Where's Everett's horse?"

For once Cato looked somewhat surprised. He looked reflexively at his saddle, where the horse had been tied and obviously found it wasn't there. He was speechless when he turned around to confront Virgil.

"Saddle and all?" Virgil asked.

"God, Virgil, I . . ."

Virgil waved his hand. "He'll turn up. He knows where home is."

Virgil's nonchalance was countered instantly by Rose's look of extreme disapproval. Cato was already being hard enough on himself. He hung his head as he walked back to the livery. His horse plodded behind him.

Laurel tugged on Virgil's shirt sleeve. He leaned down to her.

She whispered in his ear, and he whispered back. She whispered again, and headed into the house.

When Virgil went to follow, Allie quickly went with him. "What did she say?" Allie asked.

"Said she wants to help protect Everett too." Virgil said.

"She's just a kid!" Allie screamed. "What can she do?"

"She's got Pony's derringer, and she knows how to use it." Virgil told her. "So she's more dangerous then you at the moment."

* * *

please do the favor and review. havent had any feed back yet and i want to know what others think:)


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for the review! for that you get a fresh and new chapter. so here it is, less some spelling errors:)**

**Calamity Hitch  
**

Chapter 12

Pony was out for most of the night, which was good luck for him as he missed out on Allie's supper. Or maybe it was dinner. It could have been both for all Virgil cared for it. He stood out on the porch attempting to digest his ill gone-down meal and watching as the stars began to dot across the sky. He didn't like how fast this day had moved. Usually it took some days to develop a clear picture of what was going to happen. But this time Virgil started his day thinking Royce Callico was some made up man Everett hallucinated. Now in twelve short hours not only has the man come into physical existence, but he's parked right out of town waiting out a potential ambush.

Virgil had been sitting in with Everett at first. After so long, he couldn't stand the inactivity and had to get out. Laurel went in for him and sat by Hitch's head. She occasionally passed by the window, carrying a bowl of water.

Across the way Rose was pacing up and down the boardwalk outside the Golden Coral. He had his Winchester slung across his shoulders with his wrists hooked over it. He was whistling quietly to himself. Up at the livery, Cato was lying down on the porch. His hat was tilted back and his legs stuck up over the railing. He had a bottle of watered down whiskey with him. Occasionally he drank from it. Once in a while he'd hear the whiny of a horse and he'd be at his feet fast. After looking about desperately in the dark to no avail, he'd give up on finding Everett's horse galloping back and slowly make his way back to sitting.

Virgil saw it all as he stood on his porch and looked out over Appaloosa. Maybe he could tell Royce it was useless. He'd tell him that Everett was as good as dead already, and it was Callico himself who'd done it to him. But somehow he knew that wouldn't matter to them. Royce wanted blood and Virgil was the next best thing.

From the south Cato gave a holler. He waved his hand once or twice.

Rose next shouted for Virgil to hear. "Pony coming up. Headed our way. "

Virgil waved a hand over his head to show he'd heard them. He took his hand off his colt and waited for the coming developments. Rose and Cato both walked over.

Pony wasn't in a rush, which at least seemed to be a good sign. His horse was moving at a steady trot and Pony Flores sat on him stiff-legged with his Winchester across his lap. When he was still a few blocks off, Virgil knew at once there was a problem. He shook his head and poked inside. "Laurel?"

The girl came out from Everett's room.

"Laurel, do Pony a favor and call on the doctor for him." Virgil said.

Laurel moved to whisper something, but Virgil held his hand up. "Don't think it's too bad, now go on and get the doctor."

Laurel instantly ran off, pushing her way through Cato and Rose before running down First Street. She paused only a moment to watch Pony riding in. But she didn't tarry for long.

"Think Pony's hurt?" Rose asked.

Virgil nodded. "Sure am. I just hope he doesn't fall off his horse before he gets here."

The three waited at the yard gate for Pony to ride up. As it turned out he was less pained then Virgil imagined. That hardly made the situation any better.

"Horse spooked." Pony said as he rode up. "Royce's men shooting into brush with Pony Flores."

"They didn't shoot you did they?" Rose asked.

"No shoot Pony. Just sage grouse next to Pony. Horse flew back hit rocks pretty hard." Flores pulled up. He was covered in dirt and grime, his pant leg was torn and bloody.

"You're leg broken at all?" Virgil asked.

"Not broke." Pony said. "_Chiquita_ here?"

"Went for the doctor."

"_Bueño_." He said. He threw his horse's reins to Cato and intended to slip off his horse's back and land on his feet, albeit it lightly. Instead he hit the ground and collapsed in a heap. Pony didn't seem very embarrassed or hurt by the fall. He picked himself up and limped over to the porch bench between his companions.

"How hard did you hit that rock?" Rose asked, slightly amused.

"Hard enough, _jefe_." Pony told him. He indicated back at the house. "Anything new with _Señor _Hitch?"

"No. We'll have the doc check on him again since he's headed here already." Virgil said.

Laurel came running up the street and didn't stop before she hit the porch. She was breathing heavy, perhaps the only real sound she ever made besides whispering to Cole. Her eyes were wide and wild. Her focus was on Pony Flores.

"Pony ok, _Chiquita_." Flores said.

She came closer and looked at his leg. Then she turned to Virgil.

"He's all right." Virgil said. "He fell off his horse."

Flores gave him a look. "Did not fall off my horse. Pony doesn't fall off of horses."

"He got thrown off of him." Rose said.

Laurel looked like she didn't care what the syntax was. All that mattered was Pony's leg was busted up. She didn't know really what to do about it but sink to her knees on the porch. She gathered up her skirts, pulled her apron up to her face and without warning burst into sobs.

The men were so taken aback, they stood there watching her without doing a thing to stop it. Pony's jaw dropped open. After a minute, Rose scrounged about his pockets to find a handkerchief. Cato pulled his out for her, but realized it was filthy with dust and sweat. Virgil called for Allie.

"What happened?" Allie cried. She stooped next to Laurel and held her shoulders. "Did you men do something to her?"

"Now, Allie, don't be silly." Virgil said. "Just get her on in the house. I'll be in."

"Well, I never heard her cry so awful, something must have been done to her!"

"We didn't do a thing, Ma'am." Rose said.

"She's worried over Pony I think. Or the whole mess with Everett finely got to her." Virgil said.

Laurel allowed Allie to pick her up from the porch and guide her inside. She clutched to her apron the whole way as she sobbed. When the women were finally gone, the men's attention went back to Pony for his report of their situation. Pony was looking behind him through one of the house windows after Laurel.

"Didn't mean to make her upset, Virgil." Pony said. "Know what she been through. Don't ever mean to make her upset. Not to cry."

Virgil waved his hand. "She knows it to. Everett's been saying for a while now he think she likes you. Apparently enough she worries about you. Us joking about it didn't help her none."

"_Chiquita_? She say to you she like me?"

"No." Virgil said.

"Why Everett think it then?" Pony said.

"Have to ask Everett." Virgil said.

Cato broke up the conversation by cracking open his Winchester, checking the cartridges, then snapping it closed. The three others stared at him. "Well, don't want to stand here in the dark listening to Pony and his women troubles. So let's get down to business."

The others agreed, and Pony started off.

"Sixteen men. All camped outside ford, on South. Didn't care who saw they were there, big fire. Lot of horses, more than riders. Some saddled, some not. Maybe twenty of them. Got close enough to hear some men. They were all drunk. Saw Royce too, he wasn't drunk. Recognized some others. Some were deputies of Callico. Lot of tracks. Lot of horses."

"Good gun hands?" Virgil asked.

Pony nodded. "Too good. Too good for four of us."

"Know that for a fact?"

"I do." Pony said. "Others I didn't know. The drunk ones look lazy, no good. But five of them at least very, very good. May be some bad trouble."

A sound in the distance caught their attention. The doctor was on his way toward them with his bag in hand. They went quiet waiting for him to approach. Virgil was thinking to himself over their options. Right about now is when he'd turn to Everett and tell him to grab the eight gauge and prepare for war. But that was a moot point. Everett was staying out of out of this one fight. Depending on what the doctor concluded with Pony was whether they had four mobile gunners or just three. Either way, they probably didn't have the numbers to do the kind of damage they needed.

"Is it Mr. Hitch?" the doctor asked, mounting the steps. "Any improvement?"

Virgil shook his head. "Nope. Our friend here has had a bad run in with a spooked horse. Need you to take a look after him."

The doctor nodded, and set to his work. He muttered under his breath about the sad habits of local gunslingers and other items too low to hear. All of them were enough to make Pony laugh a little to himself. After all the poking and prodding, it was declared his leg was not broken, but the doctor wrapped him up anyway. Pony set about the porch on his leg to see how walking went. He managed about half a lap before pain got the best of him and he could go no further. Disappointed, he hung his head.

"Maybe can ride horse, draw attention, you know?" He offered.

"Man can't shoot that good from his horse. Don't care if he is a breed." Virgil said. "Doc, you can go on in and look after Everett. Pony, looks like you're staying here. Keep an eye on the place. Laurel'll be more than happy to back you up."

Even with the prospect of being with Laurel, Pony was still dejected. "Sorry, _jefe_. Didn't mean to—"

"Forget it. What's done is done. We got some good information now. We got a good idea what may be coming, and it doesn't seem likely he's moving out tonight." Virgil said.

"I doubt they'll do much at all besides ride up into town and start shooting wild." Rose said. "Band like that aint meant for tactics. They're here to avenge Callico sure enough, but none of them really like him either. Be a stupid thing to go through a big revenge plan for someone you didn't care too much about."

"I'm with Rose." Cato said.

"So we spread out." Virgil said.

"Just like we was before." Rose said. "Cover more ground. If they don't set fire to the place, won't be too hard to pick off a few."

Virgil nodded. "If they get too close, Pony'll shoot 'em. If they get past Pony, Laurel will shoot 'em. Beyond that, Everett will have to take care of himself."

The three went silent thinking about the feasibility of that. Virgil made no look of regret for saying it.

"Oh, forgot to mention." Pony said, suddenly more excited. "Did find another gun hand. He be up here in the morning, see what develops. See if he wants to help."

"Now who did you find that quick?" Virgil said.

"Chauncy Teagarden." Pony said. He smiled.

* * *

thanks for reading, please review!

now- for non-blue-eyed-devil readers chauncy teagarden will be a new face. he was hired by a rancher to kill Virgil Cole. that is about all you will need to know. in my version here Chauncy has "decided" not to kill Cole and is hanging out around town for kicks. thats all you need to know.


	13. Chapter 13

please keep up the reviewing!

**Calamity Hitch  
**

Chapter 13

At first light, the four gun man had already been in position for the past two hours. Chauncy Teagarden came waltzing up Third Street on foot and made the cross over onto Spade Street to look for Virgil's House. He was sharply dressed as usually. His fancy pearl handled colts were gleaming with fresh polish. He wore a sharp white pinstripe shirt and a dark blue silk vest. His pants were black and fitted right, like they were made just for him. He carried a Winchester in one hand, tilted over his shoulder. His chest was crossed in two bandoliers. One held Winchester cartridges, the other was for his colts.

He was a fancy sight indeed waltzing down the middle of Spade Street as if he owned it. In a way he sort of did. Virgil couldn't think of many men that would challenge the point.

Chauncy looked first to his left, then slowly to his right. He took his own time surveying the situation as if to wonder where he'd fit into the picture. He knew Pony Flores was holed up in the house. He expected the girls to be hiding someplace else. Perhaps they were at the Boston House a street over. Be a fitting place for them hidden up above where the action most certainly was not. One man was up at the livery stable. Another had taken post behind the Chinese Laundry a few blocks up. A third was sitting behind the Golden Palace, his legs up on the railing. He was holding an eight gauge.

Chauncy headed for the last man. From the distance it was hard to tell just whom it was sitting there. It could have been Everett or Virgil. Either way he wouldn't mind saying a good morning to either of them.

He strolled on over, his thumbs hooked on either holster. As he came closer, he picked out that it was indeed Virgil Cole setting up shop with the eight gauge leaning in arm's reach beside him. There was a single chair on the porch. Everett was nowhere to be seen.

Chauncy tipped his black hat to Virgil as he walked up.

Virgil did the same. "Morning, Chauncy."

"Virgil." Teagarden said.

"Nice day for a stroll." Virgil said.

"Bit early for my usual millings I say."

Virgil nodded. He looked left, up the street to the vast desert and sand past the city limits. Any time now and the shooting gallery would start. He expected Chauncy probably knew that as well so there wasn't much use bringing the subject up.

They sat in silence for a little while, looking out over the town that knew better then to be on Spade Street that morning. Nothing had started moving. Even the China men were nowhere to be found. Men and women folk were getting ready for Sunday service. Suddenly Virgil remembered it was Sunday.

"I count four." Chauncy said as he looked around. "Don't happen to see Everett. Isn't this one his fight?"

"That it is." Virgil said.

"But Everett isn't in it."

"No, he is not."

Teagarden was quiet as he looked up and down Virgil's little house. An extra shadow moved around the windows opposite of Pony Flores. That one he could not account for.

"Ladies still in the house? Awful bold move of you." Chauncy said.

Virgil shook his head. "Just Laurel. She wanted to help Pony. Knows how to shoot too when she has a reason for it. Usually carries around a derringer he gave her. Today he gave her a colt. Shoots just as good with it."

"More effective." Chauncy said.

"Something like that."

Again they went quiet. Chauncy sat his Winchester on the top railing. He looked down at the eight gauge, adding things up in his head. "Be the five of us, plus Laurel, against fifteen men."

"Be about that." Virgil agreed.

"Some of those men can shoot too."

"Yes they can. Almost as well as you."

Virgil leaned his chair back and tapped against the wall with it. He took off his hat and rubbed a fly from his face with it.

Chauncy looked at the eight gauge again. "Well, something just aint adding up!"

Virgil turned to him, the exclamation was unexpected.

Teagarden twisted from the road to face Cole. He threw up his hands. It was a little comical to see him so fancily dressed for a deadly gun fight and acting all flustered like a lady. "Where is Everett in the middle of this mess? I see his gun, I saw his horse, and with two people in the house, I imagine I'm missing something important. So where is he?"

"He's at the house, laid up." Virgil told him.

"He must be almost dead for you to be carrying that blunderbuss around with you!" Chauncy pointed out.

Virgil's face was more serious than usual. "I'll have you know he _is_ almost dead. And why I'm risking my neck for a dead man I don't know, all right? I can't even ask what he wants me to do; all he can do is sit there with a stupid look on his face starin' at the back of his eyelids." Virgil's voice didn't rise. He never shouted. But the effect was the same.

Teagarden was instantly hit by it all. His shoulders slouched forward, his chin hit his chest. "Wow." He managed after a time to say. "God, Cole, that sure is hard news to take. You two have been doing this work for a while now. I couldn't imagine hearing much about the Great Virgil Cole without his friend _'That-fella-with-the-eight-gauge'_."

Chauncy chuckled a little at his own joke, but somehow the steam was taken out of him. After all this time of analyzing the two men together, knowing one day he'd have to go against them both to fulfill his hired killing against Virgil was enough to drive him crazy. He knew right well how much of an asset it was to have a man like Everett Hitch go to a gun fight with you. He also knew what it was like to lose that sense of security. It was no good news at all.

"S'ppose you're wondering whether or not to get into this fight." Virgil said.

Chauncy sighed, nodded, and looked around at the landscape again. "Be about the jist of it. Without Everett, I find you might need an extra man or two. Lord knows that gun must count for a few gunmen by itself."

"You got that right." Virgil said, a chuckle in his voice. He patted the butt of the eight gauge.

"So, Maybe I'll mosey on down to the tack shop across the way. Wait for the ball to drop."

Virgil nodded. "Sounds like the thing to do to me."

Chauncy smiled a little. "Does, doesn't it?" He headed down the road with his Winchester. Along the way he started to whistle _Comin' Around the Mountain_.

Virgil held a smile back. He looked to all three hideouts where his back up stood in waiting. To each one he gave a small wave. It meant Chauncy Teagarden had joined the party. It was a good addition, and Virgil was not about to make any qualms about it. This did by no means indicate he didn't miss the company of Hitch either. Hitch may have noticed before Chauncy was half way across the road the mention of his horse.

As it is, Virgil got to his feet and yelled to him. "Chauncy, what do you mean you saw Hitch's horse?"

Chauncy turned and walked backwards to the saddle shop. "Sure I did, tied back on Main Street with all the others. Thought you all were at the sheriff office by the look of it."

A gun went off in the stillness of the morning.

Chauncy flew off balance. He went pale. The empty streets echoed his cry.

The ball had dropped.


	14. Chapter 14

**Calamity Hitch  
**

Chapter 14

Chauncy was caught in the middle of the road when the shots started. He was open and utterly exposed. Not to mention facing the wrong direction. Cole's instinct was to pull out his quickest gun, his colt. It was in his hand before he thought to do it. Down the alleyway ahead of him he shot someone in the chest. It was hard to make out just who, but he was sure the man was dead and that was all that mattered.

Cole didn't like the idea of rushing into the middle of the open road to pull Chauncy's tail out of the fire. The gunman was on his knees, both colts in his hands as he fired off like a crack shot in every direction. Almost each fire of his colts was accompanied by someone howling.

"Get yer backside over here!" Rose shouted. He was the closest, and unwilling to go out and pick Teagarden from the dirt either. The set up was just too good to get caught up in.

Chauncy found his feet. He struggled over to Rose, his colts still causing casualties across the roadway.

From his vantage point at the Livery, Cato was able to lay flat against the porch. His Winchester stuck out between the railing bars as he picked off the random gunmen hanging out in the shadows of Fourth and Third Street. Rose had cover of the West end of Second and First. Virgil had the East of them. Virgil's house rested as the last in the line on the corner of Spade and First. Pony had it covered in all directions.

Cole found a group of three men creeping through the alley behind Rose's post. He picked up the eight gauge and motioned for Rose to stand clear away. He let lose, both barrels. Two men fell dead; the third was clipped in the shoulder. He rounded the corner, his rifle trained on Rose.

Chauncy shot him down easy from a mere two feet distance. Far from dead still, the man raised his one good arm and fired for Rose. The bullet sailed wild. Both Frank Rose and Teagarden finished him off.

Though he was hard to shoot directly in his position, Cato was relatively unprotected from below. He had realized this already and given that most of the men already knew he was there, he figured moving was now the appropriate action. He headed into the stable loft through a side door, and then dropped down from there into one of the stalls. His horse was already tethered there waiting for him.

To his surprise, so was Carson Lautmen.

Lautmen wasn't much to look at. He was ordinary enough with clothes muted in brown, a gun holster hung low with a quick-draw colt stuck on each hip. His back had been turned to Cato at first. But hearing the ruckus overhead, his gun hand meant to break leather. Lucky for Cato his Winchester was already fixed on him.

Lautmen had no move.

"You one of Hitch's men?" Carson asked. He hadn't anything better to do. He was caught and he knew it. No matter how fast he was, he wouldn't beat a loaded Winchester pointed right at him.

"Something like that." Cato said. "You here to kill him?"

"In a manner of speaking."

Cato shook his head. "Aint to manner in it. Either a man is, or he isn't. You don't make up your mind on it, then you might as well be."

Carson shrugged. He wasn't moving. He needed to be smart about what he did next.

"Heard Hitch killed a friend's cousin. Decided to look into it is all. All this shooting breaks out, might as well start shooting myself. Men like us aint no good 'less we do shoot."

"Still hadn't answered my question." Cato said. "So let's just say it's a yes and call it a day."

He pulled the trigger of the Winchester, but the round didn't discharge. Lightning quick he dropped the gun and fell left. Carson went right. Both drew for their handguns and started shooting.

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please review!


	15. Chapter 15

**Calamity Hitch  
**

Chapter 15

I woke in something like a fog. One of those big mists that they drop right in front of your eyes on a cold morning that's going to get hot as the sun. It felt about that hot too right now.

Someone was thumping around with heavy boots and spurs. Were they walking on my brain? I moaned and rolled onto my side. I groped around for a pillow. There must be one someplace. Could that shut them out?

"_**EVERETT?"**_

I leaped out of my skin. "Holy Horse S—! God, Pony, yell one more time and I'll shoot your eyes out! And bury you nose down!"

Someone laughed much too loud.

"Nice time to wake up, need you the most right now." Pony said.

He was still loud, but it was somewhat bearable now.

"Besides," Pony said, "I'm only half Chiricuhua. Shoot my eyes I may mind. Burry face down, then not so much."

I brought my hand up to my face and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I wondered how long I'd been sleeping for. By the looks of the place it was most certainly not long enough. I opened my eyes to see Pony standing by the small window above my head. He held a rifle. A stack of bullets was on the table in front of him. By my feet stood Laurel. She was opening the cylinder of various revolvers, her derringer, and a couple colts. She fed fresh bullets into each before handing them to Pony.

In exchange he gave her the rifle.

She broke open the barrel and fed in new shells. She handed it back.

"What is this, a shooting gallery?" I asked. "What's going on in here? Where's Virgil?"

Pony stuck the rifle out the window and fired off two shots. He passed the gun back to Laurel and picked up the revolver. "Virgil's out there. Doing good. Your amigo, Royce came. He pick fight to get to you."

Now if I had any idea what Pony was talking about, I would have been better off. But as it was I found myself clueless. I looked down at my chest to gauge whether or not I could get up. It wasn't too bad. My chest was black and blue on the left. I couldn't see the right which was covered in cloth. I felt numb and hot. The room was thick in gunpowder. I moved to sit up.

"Whoa, Everett." Pony said. "You not lay down, and then Cole will not be happy with Pony Flores."

"I can't just sit here!" I told him. "Give me my gun."

"Cole has it."

"My eight gauge?" I asked. My surprise was too much to hide.

"Si. Out there using it now. Can't hear it?"

I was quiet a moment and listened. Sure enough I could hear the familiar earthquake of the shot gun hitting its mark on whatever happened to be stuck in its way.

"Who's out there?" I asked.

"Cole, Rose, Cato, and Teagarden."

"How many against us?"

Pony shrugged. "Thought it was just fifteen. So far I count more."

"Against you five?" I replied.

Pony pointed back to Laurel. "Six I count."

I groaned. I was not about to stay in bed while a complete war broke out just beyond the wall. I pushed myself up with my palms. Pony tried to set me back down, but I was more adamant this time. I shuffled to the end of the bed, where Laurel was kind enough to hand me one of my pistols. From there I used the head board to get myself on my knees. Pony didn't seem very happy beside me, but he let it go.

At last I got a look of what was going on outside.

* * *

please review! i may remember to post a new chapter that way


	16. Chapter 16

**Calamity Hitch  
**

Chapter 16

Chauncy was sitting against a wall of the Chinese laundry. Rose stood above him. One of his guns was dropped to the deck beside him. The other he was jamming cartridges in.

Chauncy held a hand against his arm. Blood laced through his fingers. His free hand held a Winchester. It was propped up on an overturned barrel. He needed only point and shoot.

Virgil left the eight gauge by his chair. He switched to his single action revolvers. By his count he had dropped at least six men. Between them Rose and Chauncy had five. Pony and Cato had three a piece. That made seventeen. He was already over the limit of the known numbers. Some blood bath this all turned out to be!

The excitement of the initial few minutes had begun to ebb. Men were shouting from where they'd fallen, stray bullets occasionally whirled by. Virgil traced them to their source, but the few men left found it easier to move around. It was hard to pick them off.

Virgil moved from his position. He went back and grabbed the eight gauge and ran across the road. He came up beside Rose and Chauncy.

"How you doing, Teagarden?" Cole asked.

Chauncy grinned weakly. "Oh, just fanciful. Never felt better."

Virgil nodded. "Good to hear. Anyone got an eye on Cato?"

"Haven't seen him since he went for his horse in the Livery." Rose said. He flipped his gun to catch a lone gunner darting between buildings. "Not that I don't have Faith in him, but it does raise some of my concern."

Without warning a mass of horses lunged down Main Street. The thunder of hooves, at least twenty of them, was all that could be heard. The dust rose from the road over. Spade Street was incorporated in the massive stampede. They came running down First and all the commotion was enough to block the gunman from getting any clear shots out.

Gun fire erupted from Virgil's house. This was the last stand.


	17. Chapter 17

**Calamity Hitch  
**

Chapter 17

"Here they come, Jefe. You ready?" Pony said.

I didn't have much of a chance to respond to him. I was much too surprised at seeing four armed gun man jumping from their horses and storming the house.

When did I ever get to be so famous? Wondered what I had been missing the last few days I'd been incapacitated. Obviously it was something important.

Suddenly I wondered why I ever wanted to be the great Everett Hitch.

Pony shot one man in the chest as h mounted the steps of the home. Laurel stood on the inside of the bedroom wall. She had a gun in each hand. She truly looked like a Calamity Jane with her hair all tousled about and her hand guns smoking. I thought I heard Pony's heart stop in his chest when he saw her.

The first gunman didn't know where to find us. He stumbled about the rooms until he threw open the door haphazardly. Pony and Laurel shot him in the chest and neck. He fell down dead.

The other two were more cautious. For the first time I heard them talk.

"That Everett Hitch holed up in there?" someone yelled.

I shot through the doorway and destroyed one of Allie's favorite casserole dishes. Pity. "It might be." I said.

"Heard you killed my Cousin. Wanted to introduce myself. I'm Royce Callico."

As he spoke I took the time to reload my gun.

"That a fact? Mighty fine introduction you had there."

"Glad you liked it." He said. "Now we find ourselves in a bit of a standstill. You can't stay in there forever, and I aint about to come in after you."

"Awful strange of you, Royce." I said.

"What's that?"

"Comin' all this way to avenge a man's death. Killed a lot of gun hands out there. Here you finely meet me and you're to chicken to come and say a howdy-do."

"All the same to you, I'm just as happy right here." Royce said.

I tapped Pony's shoulder. Through sign language I tried to indicate he look around for our second man. Chances were he was not standing next to Royce while we shot the breeze together.

"I don't quite get it." I said. "Come all this way to kill me, must have had a mighty good reason. I'm sure enough you didn't care for Callico. So what's this feud with me for?"

"Oh, you know how it goes. I happened to be in company with an old friend named Carson Lautmen. He sort of set me on track. Then of course meeting up with the recently deposed deputies was cause enough to come on down."

Pony limped in front of me. As he passed by I tapped him again. I pointed at his leg and held up my arms as if asking what had happened to him.

"Lautmen. Really? How's that old bird doing?"

Pony shrugged a little and smiled.

I turned to our little Calamity Jane as if she'd say something.

She didn't.

Pony took place beside Laurel and slowly peered out the door. He pointed to the back side of the house and waved his hand left and right. No one was back there. He leaned forward some and stared out the door way. He held up his thumb and thrust it toward himself. Royce was directly behind the wall.

I held up two fingers for the second man.

Pony indicated he didn't know.

"Had some good men backing you, Hitch." Royce went on. I heard the muffled click of the hammer of a gun. "Where does a man dig up so many good guns?"

To that I had to smile. "Honestly I have not the slightest idea."

Laurel handed me the rifle and moved out of the way. Pony stepped away from the wall. He waited for me.

I scooted my way over to the edge of the bed. My body had grown a bit tired of sitting up and taking the recoil of whatever I could shoot. This last time it would certainly have to deal with.

I raised the rifle to my shoulder. Pony aimed both pistols point blank against the wall.

I gave the signal.

Royce was better than I thought. He whipped around the open door way. He held twin single action revolvers. One faced Pony, the other was on me. He was a weasel looking man. Surely he was a relative of Callico. Either way, he had me with my gun turned sideways. It was an easy shot to kill me.

A bullet whizzed by my head and busted the glass window over the headboard of the bed. Pony, Laurel and I all fired at once. It was a useless effort.

Royce was already dead.

"All right now, I got him. I'm coming through the door. Don't shoot me Pony."

"_Senior_ Cato?" Pony called.

"_Si_." Cato called back. He appeared through the door. He had strange clothes on, I thought. They were too big for him for one, and the hat was no good at all. "Morning, Everett. I brought back you're horse." He told me.

"Morning, Cato. Ok, I guess." I said. I held out the rifle for Laurel to take, then eased myself down onto the mattress again. My side was beginning to throb, and the excitement wearing off was only making it more pronounced.

"Virgil will be happy you're awake." Pony said. "He not say, but he worried about you."

"Well, maybe he can tell me what exactly this was all about. And who Royce was, and why I just shot some men. Anything really would do at this point."

From outside the house I hear the voice of Virgil and a couple others.

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thanks for reading! please review!


	18. Chapter 18

**Calamity Hitch  
**

Chapter 18

Cato and Pony weren't happy about helping me up. Their opinion was to let me be where I was and let Virgil see me eventually. I had different ideas. They set me in a chair at the kitchen table. Across from me Rose brought in Chauncy Teagarden. Rose sat him down too.

Virgil strolled in. He sat my gun against the front door. This time I knew I saw emotion on his face when he looked at me.

"Everett." He said. His mouth hung open, doing nothing but catching flies. At length he collected himself and walked over. "Nice to see you up, Everett. Been worried I was doing all this shooting for nothing."

"Well, I suppose you owed me one. Saving your life and all." I said.

Virgil nodded. "True enough. Got Chauncy shot though, not sure he much appreciates it."

Teagarden waved his good hand. "Ah, I had my fun. What's a couple bullet wounds between good friends as us."

Rose openly laughed.

Pony sat next to me. He dropped the jug of whiskey on the table after pouring himself a glass.

"And Pony got himself all busted up over you too." Rose said. "Poor breed got thrown off his horse."

I looked over to Pony Flores. "You got thrown?"

He held his hand out and made a motion like his body flying up and crashing into the table cloth. "Hit rock. Horse spooked is all."

"Made our little Laurel all kinds of upset, now didn't it, darling?" Rose said to the girl.

Laurel's cheeks blushed.

"She was crying and everything. We didn't know what to do with ourselves."

"That true Laurel?" I said. I'm not sure why I asked her. It wasn't like she'd say anything. "Pony's good about taking care of himself. But don't be ashamed of worrying after him."

She blushed a little redder. Her mouth opened and, strike me stupid, but words came out of it too! "I wasn't worried! I was mad."

"What for?" Virgil asked her. He was the only one of us not shocked that she had said something.

"He didn't tell me he was going. And I could have helped too!" She looked at Pony, her face was strait crimson, then sort of realized her own mouth had started talking. She flung a hand up to her lips and quickly ran out the door.

"Chiquita!" Pony exclaimed. He got up and limped out after her. "Chiquita wait!"

Rose laughed again. "Ah, true love. And can I just ask, Cato what in the High Heaven are you wearing?"

Cato looked down at himself and sort of shrugged. "Got the drop on Carson at the Livery. Borrowed his clothes for a spell."

"You should do yourself a favor and give 'em back." Rose said, smiling.

"Almost got you shot, Cato." I said. "I wasn't looking on who I was shooting when you came in the door."

Cato agreed. "I know." He spun a little to show a new cut in his ill-gotten coat. Apparently one of us house shooters scrawled a neat line across Cato's chest when he was storming the porch. I apologized in case it was me who did the shooting. Then, or course, I got to wondering about his words. I remembered Royce saying something about Carson Lautmen.

"You talking about Lautmen?" I asked him.

He took down a glass from the cupboard behind him and poured himself some whisky.

"That'd be him." He said.

"Kill him?" I said.

"Yes."

"Good."

I took the jug from him, grabbed a glass he offered and poured myself some whiskey. "Gives me one less thing to worry about in life. Man's been haunting me past fifteen years or more. Don't mind looking forward to a world without him."

Chauncy had been silent for a while now as he watched conversation roll on. Now he decided to speak up. "Anyone gonna do me the favor of fetching the doctor. I like you and all, but I sort of prefer not to bleed to death shootin' the breeze with you either."

Virgil poked his head out the front door. When it opened the four of us at the table could hear the frantic part Spanish part Apache of Pony Flores. Virgil told him to ring for the doctor. Again.

I didn't know much Apache. I was better in Sioux or Crow or what else. I could tell Pony wasn't happy about going to get the man one more time.

Virgil knew enough Apache to threaten running off in the middle of the night and hiding Laurel in a town Pony never heard of.

Pony went for the doctor.

Rose was still chuckling as Virgil came back to the table.

"Much obliged, Virgil." Chauncy said. "Hate to ruin your nice lookin' floors by bleeding all over the place after all." He took a sip of whiskey with his bloody hand. His was still streaming something heavy. Virgil handed him one of Allie's nice napkins.

Chauncy looked at it a moment before clamping it to his arm.

"Going to owe the doctor some mighty fine bill." Virgil mused. "Might have to sell the horses."

"Again." I said. "I was rather taking a liking to mine. And apparently I have just gotten him back." I looked to Cato for confirmation on this.

Cato just stared at his boots and said nothing.

"Did happen to see him tied up out the door." Virgil said. "Glad he came on back."

Rose was sipping his whiskey. It made it hard for him to start laughing again. I still wondered where the joke was and why my horse was even missing to begin with.

Then Rose suddenly leaped to his feet. "Crap, forgot my horse's still tied up at the sheriff office from yesterday!"

He was gone in an instant.

Cato started snorting into his whiskey cup. It was his version of the guffaw.

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one more chpater to go! please review, and thanks for all the feedback so far!

i'm posting a whirlwind of greenhornet shorts, which inspires me to update this one much more often:)


	19. Chapter 19

so here it is, the final short ending! please enjoy!

**Calamity Hitch**

**Chapter 19**

The night was hung low with clouds. The moon was hard to see through the cover, but it appeared occasionally. The stars were completely blocked out.

My eyes were closed as I sat on the porch of Virgil's home. A bottle of whiskey sat between us. Occasionally I'd take a swig out of it and pass it back to Virgil. For the most part he didn't drink it. The day took a good deal of cleaning up from what I heard. I slept through it. After the doc looked in on Chauncy and Cato, I took the opportunity to dodge getting myself attention. I went into the parlor and lay up on the couch. I was asleep before I knew I was tired.

I woke up to find the party hadn't decided to move me. I was still on the couch. Allie was back, yelling at the top of her lungs about the state of the whole house. It was my excuse to get out and take in the air.

Virgil joined me not long after.

He didn't say anything. That was normal for him. We could sometimes ride for hours without saying a word to each other. Then out of the blue he would haul off and say the darndest thing I'd ever heard.

It was somewhat different between us this time. Silence was always an easy thing, but now it felt like there was something left unsaid. Virgil was tense and different. He looked everywhere but at me. I knew better then to ask. Eventually he would either get over it, or say something. Usually—

"Nice having you back, Everett." Virgil said.

It wasn't what I was expecting. But then again you never did know what was going to come out of his mouth.

"Nice to be back." I said to him. "Not quite right yet, but getting there."

"See anything out of that eye?"

I was surprised he remembered that. I knew the answer. But I tried them out anyway. "Not too well. Not sure it'll ever be quite right."

Virgil agreed a little. He reached for the whiskey bottle first, took a few more mouthfuls than I thought necessary, and passed it to me.

We were quiet a little longer, watching a few tumbleweeds roll by in the gentle breeze of the night. I thought about getting something to eat. I wasn't all that hungry, but something told me it wasn't a bad idea to get a hold of something.

"Don't want this to happen again." Virgil said.

I looked at him curiously.

He had taken back the whiskey bottle and sat staring into its contents. "You getting all busted up. Don't like it one bit, Everett. Not the way it happened. Wasn't right for a man to go through it."

"I'm not arguing with you on that point." I said. I had thought the surprises had been ousted earlier in the day when Rose and Chauncy filled me in on all I missed while I'd been out of it. I just couldn't handle many more.

"So, how we going to make sure that doesn't happen?" Virgil asked.

I shrugged. "Got me there, Virgil."

I took the whiskey bottle, drank a little, and set it down between us.

"I got a question, then." I said.

"Shoot."

"Who was Royce?"

Virgil snickered. "You knew 'bout him before the rest of us did."

"Did I?" I asked.

"Sure did." He said.

"Well how did I know that?"

Virgil shrugged. "Was figuring on asking you, when you was well enough to say something. Oh . . . speaking of saying something. I do have a question for you I'd been saving up."

This was going to be good.

Virgil got up and went into the house. A few minutes later and after a verbal lashing from Allie about the casserole dish (she didn't know I'd broken it), he appeared back on the porch. He was holding a book with about forty or more pages in it doggie eared.

"First word." Virgil said, opening up to the first page he had marked. "Conciliate."

I sighed a little, trying to get my memory to work. "Conciliate." I repeated. "You're reading Emerson again aren't you?"

Virgil smiled a little. "Sure is nice to have you back, Everett."

I nodded. "Not so sure how nice it is myself." I replied.

We sat on the porch as the moon played across the sky. The night was cool. The storm had passed on through. The next day was going to be clear and easy. I looked forward to it, even as Virgil kept thumbing through Emerson and my West Point education proved itself worthy for something.

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so that's the end! please drop a final review if you can!


	20. Chapter 20

**here is a teaser announcement (I.E. shameless plug) to my latest novel, due to be finished sometime this summer. I have been working hard to hash this story out in an original, yet true-to-the-character way. I fear I may have strayed from that traditional Robert Parker voice I have come to embrace, but I hope that you will still enjoy:**

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_Brief Synopsis: Everett Hitch has never thought much on his life before Virgil Cole. But sometimes a past can sneak up when least expected and change our future for the better, or lead us toward a Hell we couldn't imagine. Now a family Hitch left broken in his past seeks him out. Have they come to dredge up the horrors of his military days? Or are they here to heal the deep wound that scars his soul? Another rousing adventure full of cowhands, gun fights, Pony and Laural finely getting married?, and the always colorful support of Chauncey Teagarden, Frank Rose, and Cato Tillson. Virgil and Everett's friendship will be put to the test again, as Virgil must fight to save what is left of Hitch._

DIRECTLY FOLLOWS CALAMITY HITCH EVENTS  


**FIRE IN THE SAGE**

Please enjoy the first couple teaser chapters, available now Fanfiction. Just look up Fire in the Sage or find the link through my profile.


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